A Third Timeline
by Catalyst56
Summary: With Raiden's attempts to fix the initial timeline a complete failure, an observer's apprentice is sent back in time and becomes the changing cataclysm for a third timeline, which will lead to some events changed, and some events that will remain the same. After all, life isn't exactly put into what you've planned, right?
1. Prologue - A New Timeline

**AN: So, I'm back with a new story in mind. I typed this from my tablet, which I'm so lucky to have a wireless keyboard with. That way, I can type much better now. No fighting yet, as this is just a prologue after all.**

 **It's been six months, six freaking months since I've written a full-fledged fanfic, in which I will continue to write this until the end of the story, unlike my two deleted fanfics. I hate myself for not being able to.**

 **With school starting in about two weeks, I figured to start making a fanfic in the remaining time I have left.**

 **So, here is the prologue.**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Kombat franchise. That belongs to its creator Ed Boon and Netherrealm Studios. I do have the reboot game, though.**_

* * *

 **Prologue - A New Timeline**

The stars blink brightly, as two people are discussing certain events.

"Armageddon. That is where the first timeline had ended." The first man said. He is of tall stature, and wears full light dragonscale armor.

"So the initial plan of Argus and Delia have failed because Shao Kahn had defeated Blaze, right?" The second man asked. He is at least 5"12'. He wears a light yellow blazer, with a white undershirt inside, along with light denim pants and blue rubber shoes.

"Correct." The first man said.

In front of them was an astral projection showcasing the events of the second timeline.

"What happened in the alternate timeline?"

"The thunder god Raiden had received visions of the Raiden of the first timeline, which led him to attempting to intervene, only that in each time, he had actually made a fate much worse than the first; the deaths of nearly all the defenders of Earthrealm, and the reemergence of the fallen Elder God Shinnok."

"So, let me get this straight Alduin, my mentor."

Alduin turned towards him.

"My task, after all these ten years of training and experience, is to prevent the events of the second timeline from ever happening, and create a new one altogether?"

Alduin nods. The man pauses, and continues to speak.

"Why are you so interested in this dimension, out of all the others?"

"I've always sought to restore balance to all the dimensions I've watched, and indeed I have throughout my immortal life. I've been in every single dimension other than this one, in any form, from a dragon to a half-demon, and I've restored all the imbalances in each one. This one however, I couldn't seem to be in. As if someone blocked my passage. I realized then that I needed an apprentice to finally finish what I've started. Once done, I will pass on."

"Dimension observing isn't as easy as it looks then."

Alduin shakes his head.

"No, my dear apprentice, no it is not."

After a few minutes, the second man spoke.

"Why me, Mentor?"

"Hmm?"

"Out of all the people in my dimension, why pick me? I'm not exactly 'special', you know. Nor do I have any defining characteristics."

"That, I cannot tell you yet, Talion. When the time is right, I will tell you."

The man sighs. Then he breathes.

"I'm ready, Master Alduin." The man said with confidence.

"Wait, Talion." Alduin goes out for a moment, and then returns with bright purple gems on his hands.

"You'll need the soul gems that you collected throughout these years." He gives them to Talion. Talion chuckles.

"I almost forgot about these. They'll help me in a fickle if needed." He stores the gems in his bag.

The portal to Earthrealm appears.

"Good luck, Talion." Alduin said.

Talion smirks. "You know me, mentor," He turns his head towards him. "I don't need luck."

He jumps into the portal as it closes. Alduin sighs.

 _'I'm gonna need to visit his parents. It's been quite sometime.'_ The Dimension-Observer thought.

* * *

My name is Talion. I'm 20 years old, and I've been apprenticed to Master Alduin for ten years.

He taught me much, from fighting to formalities. Also during those ten years, he lectured me on the history of the dimension of Mortal Kombat, named rightfully so due to the said tournaments.

The task I have won't be easy, but I think I can finish what my master has started eons ago.

So, here I am, falling towards Shang Tsung's secret island.

Wait... falling?

 _Ah shit._

* * *

At Shang Tsung's island, Raiden suddenly gasps, and holds his head. Liu Kang notices this and walks up to him.

"Lord Raiden! What is wrong?" He asked him.

"Strange visions... from my amulet..." Raiden said, and held out his amulet. He then sees his amulet crack in different places, along with the crackling of white magic around it. He widens his eyes.

"Your amulet... what happened?" Liu Kang asked. The thunder god only shook his head.

"I do not know, Liu Kang. But you must return to your place. The tournament is about to begin." Raiden said as Liu Kang returns to his spot before.

The sound of a gong is heard, and everyone notices a group of monks walking towards them. They remain standing up as they wait for Shang Tsung.

Flanked by Kitana and Jade, the said man appears, and walks toward the throne. As he sits down, the monks also sit down, while the rest reamain standing. He then begins his speech.

"Kombatants!" He begins. "I am Shang Tsung! In the coming days, each of you will-" Before he could continue, he is then interrupted by a voice from up above.

"FALLING MAN COMING THROUGH!" From up above, Talion screamed as he was falling. He crash-lands right next to Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade.

The dust settles, and Talion is revealed to have landed back-first as he moans in pain.

"Ugh... dammit... I hate it when that happens." He said.

"Um... you okay there man?" Johnny asked him as the rest of them looked on.

After a few seconds, Talion responded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... a little scratch."

He then noticed all the looks he was given. "What are you guys looking at? I'll be fine!" He said. The others slightly widened their eyes.

"Mind if I ask for all of us, but what is your name, young warrior?" Shang Tsung asked.

Talion scratched his head. "I'm Talion." He said as he craned his neck.

"I see. May I continue then?" Shang Tsung asked him. Talion only nodded.

As the sorcerer continued his speech, Talion stood up.

"I'm Johnny Cage." Johnny said, and turned to Sonya. "Hey there, beautiful. Johnny Cage."

Talion rolls his eyes.

 _'Typical Johnny Cage. Only after a second introducing himself and he then flirts the girl.'_ Talion thought.

"Good for you." Sonya nonchalantly said, her attention diverted somewhere else.

Johnny was a bit baffled to say the least. "What? "Massive Strike", "Citizen Cage", "Ninja Mime"? None of those ring a bell?" He asked her.

Sonya looks over to see another kombatant walking out into the arena.

"Kano..." She muttered. Johnny looked at him in confusion. "Kano? Wasn't in that one..."

"I suggest that both of you should listen to this part." Talion said, causing both of them to blush in embarrassment as they listened in to the last part of Shang Tsung's speech.

"You all participate in the most important Mortal Kombat tournament in history! This tournament, the tenth after nine straight Outworld victories, will determine the fate of Earthrealm! If any of Earthrealm's representatives defeat all of your opponents, you will face one final challenge..." He paused, and said, "Me."

Johnny scoffs at his remark, saying, "That's the final challenge? That old geezer? Ha! They might as well give me the title belt right now then." He looks around, and continues, "They do have title belts, right?"

Someone then taps at his shoulder. He turns around and sees Shang Tsung. He then jumps.

"What the-?! How in the world did you..."

Shang Tsung chuckles. "Appearances can be deceiving, warrior." He then levitates back to his throne and sits down.

"In a tournament like this, it's best to not underestimate anyone, Johnny." Talion advised, while Johnny regained his composure, and said, "Duly noted, Talion."

"Which realm will you be representing, Talion?" Shang Tsung asked.

Talion looked at him in the eye, and said one word.

"Earthrealm."

Shang Tsung nods, and then smiles.

"Let us begin the tournament!"

* * *

 **AN: So, again, like I said before, no fighting yet. That's going to be in the next chapter. We'll also see the fight between Talion and his opponent. You'll see how he fights soon enough.**

 **Please review. I want to hear your opinion on how I did here.**

 **Until then.**


	2. 2 Fights

**AN: This took a while, but the first chapter's here. So, as the chapter said, I have two fights for this chapter. I tried my best to make it as good as it can be.**

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own the MK franchise. Again, that belongs to creator Ed Boon and Netherrealm Studios.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - 2 Fights**

"Our first kombatant will be Mr. Cage!" Shang Tsung said. Upon hearing his words, Johnny laughs and walks forward.

"That's right, that's right! Oh yeah! So who's it gonna be?" He asked.

Shang Tsung raised his left arm. "Reptile!"

On the rooftop stood Reptile (who was invisible the entire time while observing). The Zaterrean then made himself visible before he jumped down to the arena floor, to the monks' applause.

Johnny was impressed. He then said, "Nice stunt! Who's your agent?"

He didn't get an answer as Reptile hissed at him. Shang Tsung then said, "Begin!"

Johnny smirked, clinched his fists, and got into his fighting stance, while Reptile did the same.

"All right! It's showtime!" Johnny said.

 **ROUND 1... FIGHT!**

Johnny takes the first move by punching Reptile's chest with his right hand, followed by two more punches to his torso.

Reptile staggered, but recovered quickly and sent two kicks to Johnny's torso. He then slid past him, sweeping him from under.

Reptile wasn't done yet, though.

At the instant Johnny recovered and stood up, Reptile sent and uppercut, popping him up in the air for another attack. Reptile jumps, and kicks him in the air, sending him back down, and followed up from the ground with a punch before Johnny countered and broke the combo.

With Reptile stumbling, Johnny then attacks him with a left knee to the head, and then kicks his head twice in succession, before sending him up to the air with a right kick, and attacks with a flipkick. He ends his combo with a front kick.

Johnny smirks and shows off to the crowd. He was so caught up in the moment, he didn't notice Reptile stand up and spit acid into his face.

Johnny wipes the acid off his face in disgust, and angrily looks at Reptile.

"UGH! What the hell is this?! Is this acid?! Oh that is so not cool man! So not cool at all!" He said, before he fell unconscious.

 **REPTILE WINS!**

Talion facepalmed. Johnny is then splashed with water to cure the acid and wake him up.

"Ugh... did I win the round?" He asked as he winced in slight pain.

"No, Johnny, you did not. You now have to win the next two rounds." Talion said to him.

 _'Right. Next two rounds... I got this.'_ Johnny thought as he stood up. Reptile snarled at him. They both took up their respective fighting stances.

 **ROUND 2... FIGHT!**

Reptile starts with a punch, only for Johnny to dodge the punch, splits, and punches Reptile's groin. Reptile widened his eyes and yelled in pain as he held his groin.

Johnny then performs a shadow kick, hitting Reptile's stomach, driving him to the ground.

Still recovering as he stands up, Reptile spits acid again.

Johnny dodges it and sends a forceball, hitting Reptile's head, dazing him. Johnny then runs up to him and throws him.

Reptile stands up, but Johnny flipkicks him, followed by three elbow strikes. Reptile lands on the ground with a thud, while Johnny lands on his feet.

He then bows down, to the monks' applause. He then notices Reptile shakily stand up. He then smirks.

Johnny then sends five punches to Reptile's chest area, the last one sending him to the ground, unconscious.

 **JOHNNY CAGE WINS! FLAWLESS VICTORY!**

Reptile is splashed with water. He wakes up, dusts himself off, and stands up. Both assume a fighting stance.

 **ROUND 3... FIGHT!**

Both fighters went at each other; Johnny with a left kick and Reptile with a right punch. Both attacks deflected off each other. They then alternated their attack, only achieving the same result. They both retreated back.

Reptile sends his own forceball towards Johnny while Johnny shoots out a straight forceball. Both attacks disappeared after making contact.

Johnny sends out two more forceballs, while Reptile sends out a faster forceball. This time, both attacks hit their designated target.

Johnny is the first to recover as he performs a shadow kick. However, Reptile blocks the attack, and headbutts him.

As Johnny holds his head, Reptile goes invisible.

 _'Well that's just great. How will I hit an invisible target?'_ Johnny thought. While in his thoughts, however, Reptile spits acid again. Johnny gets hit, and he wipes his face.

Reptile slides again, and it hits him. From behind, Reptile punches Johnny's head.

Reptile again charges through, and kicks him. This time, Johnny anticipates the attack, and blocks it. He then does a sweep kick, sending Reptile to the ground.

Reptile becomes visible again. As he stands up, he sees Johnny flex his right arm, taunting him.

"Come on. Is that all you got?" Johnny mockingly asked. This enrages Reptile. He then tries to punch Johnny, only for him to parry the attack, crouches down by splitting, and sends three hard punches to his groin.

Reptile widens his eyes and holds his groin again as he bends down. Johnny then elbow drops him, hitting his back, and sends him to the ground.

Johnny wasn't done yet. He grips Reptile's shoulders and stands him up. While Reptile is dazed, Johnny does a right haymaker, sending him to the ground, unconscious.

 **JOHNNY CAGE WINS!**

"Oh yeah! He got caged! I'm so awesome!" Johnny said, relishing his victory.

While Liu Kang and Raiden watch him with equal amounts of disgust, Talion only chuckles.

Cage goes up to several of the kombatants and points his finger at each of them.

"... And I'm taking you down, I'm taking you down... I'm taking you out, I'm taking you out, and I'm taking you out..." He stops at Sonya.

"... for dinner!" Johnny finishes, as Sonya reacts with disdain while Johnny snickers.

"Not sure about you though, Talion." Johnny said to him, as he goes back to his spot.

"Heh. That depends." Talion chuckled.

"The next kombatant is Talion!" Shang Tsung said.

Talion then steps forward, a serious look on his face.

He then looks at Shang Tsung. "So who will I fight?" He asked.

"Baraka!"

Baraka, the Tarkatan commander, roars and unsheathes his arm-blades and jumps down, to the monks' applause.

"My blades will tear your flesh!" Baraka said.

"That is, if you even get a scratch on me." Talion calmly said. Both fighters then assume a fighting stance.

 **FIGHT... START!**

Baraka charges forth with his blades, hitting Talion's chest and stomach, and forces him to the ground.

Not letting him up, Baraka picks him up, and spins, his blades acting like a rotor blade. This hits Talion four times, before stumbling a bit. Quickly recovering, Baraka, sheathing his arm-blades. starts to punch his chest repeatedly, before stopping, and unsheathes his arm-blades again, before slashing forth his chest.

Talion tries to punch Baraka, only for him to block the punch, and grabs him, throwing him up in the air. Baraka jumps, and kicks him twice, before he grabs Talion again, and throws him back down to the ground.

As Talion stands up, Baraka charges again, stabbing Talion in the stomach. With Talion on his blades, Baraka stabs him in the neck, and stabs him in the head, before releasing him by kicking his stomach as Talion lands with a thud.

The Tarkatans who were present applaud for their commander's show of dominance and strength, while the others shudder at Talion.

(During the fight)

Witnessing the carnage, Johnny whispered to Sonya, "Man, Talion's getting beaten down. I'm not sure if he'll even survive one round."

Sonya whispered back, "I know. He hasn't let him up at all, and Talion hasn't even landed a hit on him."

Liu Kang whispered to Raiden, "Why is he even here, if he is that weak?"

"I do not know, Liu Kang. But I am concerned for him." Raiden whispered back.

"It looks like we may be seeing death so early." Kitana said to Jade.

"Maybe, Kitana. But remember, this is only the first round, and we have not yet seen how this 'Talion' person fights." Jade said to her.

"What do you think of this, Scorpion?" Quan Chi asked the Netherrealm spectre.

"In all the years I have lived fighting, I know not to underestimate anyone, even in a situation like this." Scorpion said.

 _'Spirits bless him.'_ Nightwolf thought.

The Lin Kuei assassins only looked on. The same goes for Kano, only that he has a smirk on his face.

Shang Tsung only chuckled darkly.

Back in the fight, Baraka smirked at Talion. "You might as well, give up, Earthrealmer." He arrogantly said to him.

Talion's response shocked most of the kombatants present, including Baraka.

He laughed... and laughed some more.

"Is that the best you got, Tarkatan?" He asked as he stood up. What shocked all of the kombatants further was that he stood up with no problem, and without a scratch.

"Like I said..." His voice had gone cold. "You couldn't even lay a scratch on me."

He unsheathed two sickles and wielded them on his hands.

It was now Talion's turn to strike.

He threw both sickles before running towards Baraka, and while Baraka dodged the sickles, he did not anticipate Talion's next moves.

Talion swiftly struck at Baraka's neck, before he elbows him at his arms. He kicks at his legs, causing him to kneel down. Talion then grabbed the returning sickles before slashing at his arms and chest. He then kicks his head, causing Baraka to go down. He picks him up, and disables his legs, causing him to kneel again.

Sheathing his sickles, he takes out serrated throwing knives. He threw two knives towards Baraka, hitting him at his stomach. He goes up to him, and forcefully removes both, before slashing at his arms, with Baraka yelling in pain. He kicks his head, causing him to fall to the ground.

Talion retreats and cleans his knives as he waits for Baraka to recover.

"Come on! Surely you aren't giving up yet, right?" Talion said.

Baraka stands up, furious, and shoots a blade spark at him. It hits him. However, Baraka could not follow up as he was too tired and wounded to move.

"Couldn't follow up, can ya?" Talion asked him from behind. Baraka widened his eyes and turned around, only to meet Talion's left foot. He falls to the ground, dazed.

 **TALION WINS!**

"Arrogance will only lead to downfall." Talion said, while Baraka shakily stood up. He walks back to his spot.

"Congratulations, Talion. Now finish him!" Shang Tsung said, stopping Talion in his tracks.

"He isn't going to kill him, is he?" Jade asked Kitana.

"I do not know, Jade." Kitana responded.

Everyone else looked at him in anticipation.

Talion turned back towards Baraka, who is still dazed.

Talion unsheathed his sickles. He threw the first one to Baraka's neck, slashing through the left side inside until the middle. Baraka held his neck and gagged.

He threw the second one towards his waist, this time slashing through the right side inside until the middle. Baraka still held to his neck, gagging.

Talion swung his arms away from each other, causing the sickles to fully slash through the neck and waist, before he swung them back, causing Baraka's body to split into his head, torso and legs. The three parts fall, and Talion pulls his sickles back. He grabs them, showing that, there was a very thin piece of rope attached to each before a purple mist goes to Talion.

Everyone could not utter a word.

"If you all think that I will simply be like the others, then you are all wrong... because I will not hesitate to kill if I need to do so." He said in his coldest voice, before returning to his spot, while eveyone looked at the now-dead Baraka.

Shang Tsung gathered the strength to speak.

"The tournament... will continue... at dawn."

* * *

 **AN: So, there's the first twist of this story. Baraka's now dead. More twists to come soon.**

 **I realized it's actually pretty hard to make fights. It took me quite some time. So, with that being said, from this chapter on, I'll probably only have one-round fights.**

 **Also, this might be a Jade x OC story.**

 **Please review. It helps me out a lot.**

 **Until then, everyone.**


	3. The First Break

**AN: Hey everyone. Sorry for the extreme delay. With school now here, there's gonna be limited time for me to write up a chapter. Also, this is the longest chapter that I've wrote in the entirety of my works so far.**

 **Here are some notes for the ones who reviewed:  
1\. If I didn't assure it before, I'll reassure it now: this will be a JadexOC story. Not sure about CagexBlade and KitanaxLiu Kang yet, though.  
2\. Smoke will not die. That, I can assure you all. You all love Smoke, don't you guys?  
3\. The rest of the plot twists and changes will unravel as the story continues on. Just be patient.**

 **I don't need to put the disclaimer, right? Come on! It's already stated in the prologue that _I DO NOT OWN ANY FORM OF COPYRIGHT IN THE MK FRANCHISE. I won't be putting up the disclaimer again in future chapters, okay? Good._**

 ** _So, here's chapter 2._**

* * *

Shang Tsung departs, shaken by the sudden turn of events, while Kitana and Jade remain.

Everyone else still stays in the arena while the monks leave. Two masked guards clean up and take away Baraka's dead body.

Johnny turns to Talion, who is crossing his arms while having a bored expression.

"Whoa. Tell me that you did not kill him." Johnny said to Talion.

"I did, and that was real." Talion said back.

"But why?"

"Listen, Johnny... wait... I sense two people coming to us."

Raiden and Liu Kang went to him, with Liu Kang in anger.

"Tell me why you did what you did, now!" Liu Kang said.

"Liu Kang, you must calm down." Raiden said to him.

"Do you not see, Raiden? The death of Baraka will only make Shang Tsung stronger!"

"I would think not, Liu Kang." Talion said.

"And why is that?"

"Because of this." Talion took from his bag a bright, whitish-blue gem.

"What is that?" Johnny asked.

"I know of how Shang Tsung is able to get stronger by taking the soul inside a dead body. So before the fight started, I made a small incantation that will let me take the soul of the dead body, into this: an empty grand soul gem." Talion explained.

The three widened their eyes.

"Whoa. That's amazing." Johnny said in astonishment.

"Regardless, both of you fought well." Raiden said to the two.

"Thanks. Nice hat." Johnny said, while Talion nodded his head.

"You should be more respectful of Lord Raiden. He is the defender of Earthrealm." Liu Kang said.

"Don't know who you're cosplaying, but I've no business here. The only one I see normal here is Talion." Johnny said and began to walk away before being stopped by Liu Kang.

"You're not being serious here." Liu Kang said.

"Your opponent was a Zaterrean, while Talion's opponent, like what he said before, was a Tarkatan. He was born with those blades."

Johnny said nothing, while Raiden continued.

"Both represented Outworld. Had you lost against Reptile, the emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn, will be one step closer to physically absorbing our world into his."

"Outworld, yeah right..." Johnny scoffs at his remark.

"The Elder Gods created the Mortal Kombat tournament to give Earthrealm a chance to defend itself against Outworld. However, if we lose this tournament, Outworld will have won ten times in a row, causing Shao Kahn to conquer all." Raiden finished.

"Dun dun dunnn!" Johnny dramatically raised his arms in the air.

"Listen guys, I'm an actor. I save the world for the cameras. If this emperor really is a threat, call the military. Me, I've gotta go somewhere now."

Johnny then put his hand on Talion's shoulder.

"Hey man, good luck with this tournament." Johnny said, before walking off.

The other two turned to Talion.

"Why did you kill him?" Raiden asked, while thinking, _'The death of Baraka was not part of what I have foreseen. Is he here for a reason?''_

"He is simply a threat. If being told, and if I feel the need to kill depending on their actions, then I will do so."

"But still, you did not need to kill him." Liu Kang said.

"Would you rather have a deadly threat, or a dead one?" Talion coldly asked, before leaving.

"What do you see in those two?" Liu Kang asked Raiden.

"Johnny Cage is a hero, but he has not yet realized it. As for Talion... I cannot seem to decribe him yet. He is an enigma. Time will tell as to who he will be in the end." Raiden said, before the two left the arena.

Secretly, though, Johnny was starting to believe Raiden's words.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jade and Kitana talked about the events.

"You were right when you said we will see death so early, Kitana." Jade said.

"But it was not what we anticipated, Jade. Now that Baraka's dead, things might be a little more interesting for Talion, knowing that he's the one who killed him." Kitana said.

"Do you think he is a threat now?" Jade asked her.

"No, not yet at least. Though we have to be more careful around him now. He killed him to make a statement." Kitana said.

Kitana noticed Jade looking at Talion.

Kitana smirked behind her mask. "Already having an interest in him now, hmm, Jade?"

Jade then blushed. "It isn't like that, my Princess! Let's just get going."

Kitana laughed as they both then left.

* * *

Shang Tsung was secretly fuming. They now lost Baraka. He was the best among his race, and he was beaten so easily by an Earthrealmer. Plus with the fact that he's now dead, the Tarkatans might not be swayed so easily, if the thrashing Talion gave was any indication.

 _'No matter,'_ Shang Tsung thought. _'He will be the perfect subject for my next experiment.'_

"Earthrealm will fall into Shao Kahn's hands." He said to himself, before walking away. He still needed to prepare the next part of the tournament.

* * *

Somewhere, Scorpion talked with Quan Chi.

"He is an... interesting fellow. He is certainly someone I can go toe-to-toe and truly fight with." Scorpion remarked about Talion.

"So, as it seems, you were correct about making assumptions." Quan Chi said.

"As I said before, you must never underestimate your enemy, no matter what their appearance is, or how their actions are perfromed." Scorpion said.

"We must now leave. The next part of the tournament will commence soon." Quan Chi said, and both did as he said.

* * *

Talion meanwhile was walking around the island. He then arrived at a row of houses, that contained each kombatant's name. He stopped at his.

"Was killing Baraka seriously necessary, Talion?" Someone asked Talion from inside his head. He realized that only one person he knows is able to do that, and that's his mentor.

"Somewhat, mentor. But they definitely did fell for my words." He said inside his head. He chuckled after that. "For one thing, Baraka simply deserves to die. Second, killing is definitely a last resort for me."

"And for the others?"

"That, I cannot do."

"I see. I visited your family."

Talion's eyes turned somber and sat down on the steps.

"So... how are they?"

"They're okay. They miss you dearly, but they still understood what you are doing. Frankly, they support you in your decision."

"Even Rachel?"

"Even your sister. She took it the hardest, but she understood and supported you the most."

Talion smiled as tears came down.

"I miss them, you know."

He remembered how it all happened, ten years ago.

* * *

(Flashback - Ten Years Ago - Oakland, California)

It was all so sudden for ten year-old Talion Kinsington.

One minute he was watching his favorite show with his younger sister, the next minute a portal had appeared out of nowhere, shocking both him and Rachel.

Then, a dragon's head came out of it, and as the rest of its body came out, it slowly transformed into that of a human's.

By then, both siblings were backed up to a wall, hugging each other for dear life.

The man raised his right arm. "Do not worry, children. I will not hurt you." He said to the two.

Talion asked him, in fear. "Who... who are you, mister?"

"I am Alduin. May I ask where your parents are?"

This time, Rachel spoke. "S-sure... I'll call them up." She then got out of the room and went to find their parents.

While waiting, Talion asked, "Sir... why are you here?"

Alduin smiled. "That is a question that I can only answer when your parents are with you." He explained, just as their parents came in.

"Ah, good. You came quickly." He said to them.

Their mother, Gina Kinsington, said to Alduin, "You have ten minutes to explain who you are and why you're here." Their father, Louie Kinsington, nodded.

"You must be patient. But I will explain now."

He then took out an orb, and laid it on the floor. The orb shone brightly, and it levitated in front of them.

"I am Alduin, the Dimension-Observer. I watch over different dimensions, and perform my duties to ensure balance among each of them."

The orb then displayed worlds of different forms; the ones he had helped balance already.

"As you see, there are tens of thousands of dimensions and worlds to watch, with the exception of this specific dimension."

Rachel asked, "Why is our universe an exception?"

"To be specific, it's dimensions, child. Now, for the reasons, it is because this is where it all began. This is the first dimension. Regardless of what I do to fix it, it would still remain unbalanced, however, I noticed that it did not have any effect whatsoever, before I realized that with this being the very first one, this one is already balanced, in spite of its imbalance." He explained to her.

"Do you understand now, young girl?"

Rachel nodded. "Sure do now, mister Alduin."

"But it still doesn't explain why you are here." Louie said.

"Ah, yes. I almost forgot." There was a pause, and then he continued.

"You see, I am looking for an apprentice to help me in my duties as the Dimension-Observer. And it would seem that I have picked you, Talion."

Everyone but Alduin widened their eyes, and turned to Talion.

Talion stammered, and pointed his finger to himself. "Me?"

Alduin nodded.

"Why me?"

Alduin shakes his head. "I am sorry, but I cannot answer you that question yet, not until the time is right."

"Why do you need a apprentice if you were able to do it yourself for so long then?" Gina asked, concerned for her son.

"I understand your concern, Gina. But, I assure you, I will not harm your son in anyway possible. As for why, I will prepare him for his true mission, which I cannot tell you... yet. But in due time, all will be revealed."

Gina and Louie turned away from the three, conversing about his explanation, while Rachel and Talion looked at him in awe.

Minutes later, both of them turned to the three.

"How long?" Gina asked.

"Ten years."

"Okay, but I will agree on one condition."

This interested Alduin.

"We want to see him every two years, with him staying with us for two weeks."

"That is understandable. That is something I can agree on."

"I can agree with that." Talion said.

Rachel however, couldn't accept it "But... I'm going to miss you! Who will I watch with during our favorite show? Who's gonna play pilow fights with me until we're tired and sleepy? Who's gonna-"

"Sis, I will miss you too, you know. But, I'll still visit you."

"I know that!" She began to cry. "You've been my best friend! You're the one thing I'll miss most! Without you, things aren't going to be the same!"

"Hey, hey. Don't worry. We'll see each other again." He comforted her.

"I... alright. But you better show me some of the stuff you've been taught of, okay?"

Talion smiled at her. "Okay."

From then on, Alduin kept Gina's agreement, allowing his student to see them, and stay with them for two weeks. He smiled at the bond the family shared whenever he sees them together.

(End Flashback)

* * *

"I know."

"Thanks for doing this, mentor."

"Don't mention it, Talion."

With that, Alduin had now disappeared. Talion stood up, and looked at his place.

"Might as well go inside and see what it's like." Talion said, and went inside.

It was pretty decent for a one-person house. It had one bed, one TV, a bathroom, a small kitchen, a refridgerator, and it was air-conditioned.

Talion then saw a set of rules near the TV.

It read:

1\. You will be called when the tournament resumes, regardless on how you will be called upon.

2\. When fighting between tournament parts, that is not considered a true tournament fight unless the tournament's host dictates so.

3\. The will be mandatory breaks between parts of the tournament.

4\. Food will be served during lunchtime (12:00 N.N.) and dinner (6:00 P.M.).

5\. The house that you have is your responsibility.

6\. Stay alive.

"Huh... not sure if the last one's real, or just put in there for the sake of horror movie clichès." Talion said to himself. He then checked his watch.

10:15 A.M. showed on it.

"Looks like I got time. Time to play for a while then."

From his backpack, Talion took out his Xbox One and Kinect, set them up, and took out Fantasia from his game.

He cracked his fingers and smirked.

"Alright. Been quite some time since I last played this. Let's see if I still got it."

* * *

Five minutes passed.

 _And the stains coming from my blood,  
Tell me go back home._

Talion finished up the guitar riff from "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes, and waited for his score.

It showed:  
Score - 3,585,000  
5 Stars - 94%  
Streak - 114 Notes

"Not bad. But I still need more improvement." Talion said to himself as he returned to the song menu and went to pick a song.

"Ah... this one should do."

 _Ohhhhh, sometimes, I get a good feeling... Yeah...  
Get a feeling that I never, never known, never had before... no, no...  
I get a good feeling... Yeah..._

Talion finished up "Levels" by Avicii, and waited for his score.

It showed:  
Score - 3,107,000  
5 Stars - 98%  
Streak - 145 Notes

"Ahhhh... That's the sharpness that I've got again." Talion said, and smirked.

* * *

He went for a few more songs, until the time was now 11:00 A.M..

He finished up his last song, and deactivated his Xbox One. He placed his other games next to his console, and left.

But not before a bo staff stopped him in his tracks. He looked at whoever stopped him.

Jade.

"You stay right there." She said.

Talion chuckled.

"And what if I don't want to?" He asked. He was now behind her, with a bored expression.

"What... How were you able to..." Jade trailed off. Talion backflipped opposite her.

"So... you want to fight then?" He asked.

"Do you even have to ask?" Jade said as she prepared her staff, while Talion prepared his sickles.

They charged towards each other and their weapons clashed.

* * *

As the daylight passes while they fight, Sonya contacts Special Forces Command at the dark skies of The Pit.

"We're triangulating your signal for evac, but... we're not seeing any island."

"Dammit, I'm standing on the island, Command! Just lock onto my wrist comm!"

"Understood. What is your current status?"

"They have Jax, and if I don't fight in this crazy tournament, they're going to kill him. I'm going to try to find him while I can."

"We'll send out evac immediately."

"Understood. Sonya Blade out."

Johnny had then caught up to her.

"Hey. Need some help?" He asked.

"You again. Look, I've already got enough problems as it is, and I'm in no mood to get hit on by some movie star." She began to leave, before Johnny grabbed her arm.

"Look. I'm not going to do that. Not after what happened earlier from Talion. Besides, I think I can help you find your friend." He explained.

Sonya sighed, and took a fighting stance. "Prove it then."

Johnny sighs, and also takes a fighting stance. "Alright. I will."

"Then I guess you wouldn't mind if I join the show then?" An Australian-accented voice spoke.

They both turned to see...

"Kano."

* * *

"So tell me, why do you want to fight me? You're not avenging Baraka, are you?" Talion asked as he kept on parrying Jade's staff strikes.

"Oh, no. I couldn't care any less for that Tarkatan. I wanted to fight you, because I wanted to test you." Jade replied as she kicked him.

Talion could only chuckle as he grabbed her leg and threw her upside.

As she got up, Talion's weapon had now morphed from two sickles to two metal tonfas.

She struck her staff sidewards to Talion. He swiftly used one tonfa to parry, and the other used to grab the staff.

"Test? Me? HA! Already I'm seeing mistakes you're making."

"Like what?" Jade asked as she held on to the staff.

"For one..." Talion deactivated the staff, surprising Jade and throwing her off-balance. He then ran to her and slid by her. She falls to the ground.

"You're too reliant on your staff." He threw the shortened weapon back to her. She caught the thrown weapon.

He began to walk away. Jade then threw her boomerang at him.

"Secondly..." He caught her boomerang, causing Jade to widen her eyes. He turned back towards her, and flicked his hand. Only instead of one boomerang, he now held three identical boomerangs, shocking Jade.

"You're too predictable." He coldly said, and swiftly threw all three at the same time.

Jade did not anticipate how fast the speed of the boomerangs were, as she got hit by all three, and got knocked down to the ground.

"Now, who's the one testing who? And who's the one who held back?" He walked up to her, and crouched down. "Hmmm?"

"You... were holding back?"

"Yup!" He smiled at her and held his hand out to her.

Albeit reluctantly, due to the sudden change in demeanor, she accepted his hand, and he helped her stand up.

"Why? Why help me? Why didn't you kill me back then?"

He waved his index finger at her. "Nuh-uh. You gotta answer mine first." He said as he checked into his watch.

 _'11:40 A.M... Alright, I still have time.'_

"Alright then. I agree."

"Good. So tell me,"

He now held a serious aura.

"What's the real reason as to why you were sent to kill me?"

There was silence.

Then Jade said, "What are you talking about? I went here on my own accord. I have no intentions to kill you!"

Then Talion smirked. "Ah, but you made another mistake."

"When we fought earlier, I noticed that you were being too stiff. You were too focused on the task at hand. So you were being careful, yet at the same time, being too careless for me to notice all your flaws."

Jade lowered her head in shame, and sighed. "You're right."

She sat down on the porch in front of Talion's temporary home. Talion did the same.

"I was sent by Shang Tsung to kill you because he suspected that you would be a very strong fighter, along with the fact that you killed Baraka."

"Heh, I guess that little fiasco stirred up something in them, huh?"

"To be very honest, I think you did good killing him."

"Oh, really? But then again, I'm not surprised for an Edenian like you to say that, knowing that he was the commander of Outworld's invasion force."

Jade widened her eyes. "How did you..."

"I know secrets, Jade. Now... as for your question..."

He leaned closer to her.

"The answer is very simple."

He leaned closer to the point that their noses were almost touching. Jade's heart was beating in a slightly quicker rate. He lowered his head and sighed.

"That's just not me. I hate killing. But I'll do it if I have to. Now... I could've done the same with you, like Baraka but... there's just something about you, you know? I'm not saying that because you are beautiful, but, something, just something, made me stop. Because I think, you are not supposed to be my enemy."

Jade could not believe his words.

"I... I don't know what to say, but... wait... you hate killing?"

"Killing is something I hate doing, but it isn't really a matter of choice, if you ask me. Sometimes, there are people who just cannot be left alive. You'd be stupid enough not to kill that person knowing that he or she will cause trouble and danger again."

"What I did, earlier... killing Baraka, that was a different side of me."

He then raised his head up, and leaned close to her ear.

"Listen to me. Above all else, do not trust Shang Tsung or Emperor Shao Kahn. They've kept really dark secrets. Secrets that are not meant to be found by anyone, especially you and Kitana."

"Okay?" He smiled.

"I'll see you later then, Jade."

With that, Talion now left, with Jade too shocked for words.

* * *

 **AN: So you guys have now seen where it all started for Talion.**

 **I hope you guys liked what I did with Jade and Talion. That wasn't exactly a fight, per say, and I'm not trying to make Jade look weak here. Remember, Talion's been trained to know what flaws do his opponents have. He's a critical thinker, and knows what to do in any situation. And besides, I'm sure some of you guys spam Jade's staff moves in the game, right? I'm guilty of that. A lot.**

 **As for Johnny, I'm trying my best to not make him be a jerk.**

 **Also, Fantasia's obviously referenced here. Sorry, but I just love the game so damn much.**

 **Hahaha, so anyways, leave a review! Not trying to sound desperate here, but I seriously need them.**

 **That's it, and until then, see you all in the next chapter.**


	4. Outmatched

**AN: It's been a month now since I uploaded the last chapter. Sorry guys. To be honest, I was stuck as to how I'll write this chapter. Add that with schoolwork, my goodness. Again, I apologize for the time. And I decided to keep the relationship of Sonya and Johnny to a sibling-like level.**

 **Disclaimers are known already, so, here's Chapter 3.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Outmatched**

"You seriously don't think that you can take on the both of us, right?" Johnny asked as the three of them took fighting stances.

Kano only smirked. "Despite that show you put on earlier, that wouldn't even change a thing at all, pretty boy." He then sent a punch to Johnny's shoulder. "Both of you will be as good as dead when I'm done fightin' the both of you." He then laughed as they exchanged blows.

With each punch and kick the two sent towards Kano, he deflected them all, and sent back with hits twice as strong as theirs.

The three then retreated to the opposite sides of the bridge. Johnny wiped the dirt from his face.

"We'll sure as hell try then." Johnny said, as Sonya charged up to Johnny, jumped on his hands, and he pushed her with all his strength towards the Australian thug.

While on the air, Sonya then changed her stance, putting one of her feet out front, towards Kano.

It was successful.

The initial kick took Kano by surprise, which allowed Sonya to use her other foot to kick Kano again, causing him to fall to the ground, while Sonya back-filpped to the ground safely.

"Nice tricks you two have." Kano said as he spit on the ground. "But," He smirked as he took a charging stance. "I've got better."

With the force from his arms, Kano charged himself towards them above the ground like a bullet, and formed into a ball, intending to hit them.

With no way to dodge the hit left or right without the possibility of falling towards the spikes of The Pit, they had no choice but to take the hit.

Sonya, having once gotten hit with the move before, successfully blocked the hit. Johnny however, wasn't so lucky.

With a thud, Johnny hit the wall after Kano had kicked him. Johnny laid on the ground, grunting.

Kano then drew out his butterfly knives.

"Look out, sheila."

Tired and somewhat sluggish from the fighting, Sonya barely had time to dodge the slash from his butterfly knives.

"Dammit!" Sonya said.

"So tell me, how are things at Command?" Kano asked her while keeping up.

"Bastard!"

Kano just laughs as he keeps slashing at her, while Sonya keeps dodging, with each movement getting slower, and with each cut getting deeper.

"You really were gullible. Just had to point 'ya in the wrong direction, and boom! Couldn'ta done it without ya really!"

By this point, Sonya couldn't truly dodge the next one.

"S.F.'s on the way. You won't get that far."

At the next slash, Sonya had dodged it just enough for her to not get seriously injured, but not enough for her to not get a deep cut at her left forearm.

"You think? I've got a knack for survival. And you will die here along with pretty boy."

Kano smirked as he slashed again, successfully stabbing Sonya's right arm. Sonya cried out in extreme pain.

"Goodbye, Sonya. Pleasure meeting ya, and betraying ya."

He charged up his eye laser, primed and ready to strike.

"Not yet!"

Johnny quickly recovered and swept Kano's feet. As a result, the laser had only struck the ground, and luckily, not any part of Sonya.

"It's just you and me now."

Kano scowled and growled. He then sheathed his butterfly knives.

"Grrr... fine. At least she'll see you die when I'm done with ya."

Unnoticed, Sonya falls unconscious due to the wounds she received.

They both took fighting stances, and charged towards each other. They both sent a right jab, hitting each other's fists. They had the same results with their left jab.

They both sent out punches, kicks and knee strikes towards each other. With each hit they received and deflected, they both got noticeably tired. Both retreated to opposite sides of the bridge, Johnny being careful not to hit Sonya.

Kano then cannonballs toward Johnny.

Despite the speed, Johnny anticipated the attack, and grabbed his body, surprising Kano. He then leg throws him back.

"Damn you... pretty boy. You anticipated that one."

"Fans think that my moves are all wire work and special effects."

Johnny throws two forceballs at Kano. Each one successfully hits, stunning Kano.

"Thing is... I AM the special effects."

Kano quickly recovers, and angrily takes out his knives, exclaiming, "That's IT!" He throws both of them one at a time.

Johnny was able to dodge the first one.

The second one though, he wasn't so lucky.

Johnny gets hit by the second one on his left shoulder.

"Ahhhh!" Johnny grunts in pain. He takes out the knife, and throws it back at Kano, who catches it with ease.

Kano smirks and slowly walks.

"Like I said, pretty boy: not a thing at all." Kano charges his laser eye beam and releases the energy, striking the already wounded left shoulder.

Johnny screams in extreme pain as he clutches his left shoulder. He slowly falls to the ground.

Kano then frowns. "It's over. I won, and you two have lost."

He then collects his other thrown knife and returns to the wounded duo. He breathed heavily. He was very exhausted from the fight, but still resolved to get the job done.

"And now, both of you will die."

Sonya had then awakened, only to see Kano standing above them, ready to kill the two.

"Dammit... is this... where I die?" She wondered.

But before he could do the deed, a black mist appears in front of the Australian mercenary.

"On the contrary Kano, you will not."

From the mist, a dark-clothed Talion appears as the said mist dissipates.

"You."

A dark smile forms on his face.

"Yup, me."

But just as quickly as that smile formed, it disappeared, replaced with an even darker frown.

"Now leave. You will not kill them."

Kano angrily scowled.

"Why not? I could kill you here as well, ya know."

Talion chuckled.

"Except that you're extremely exhausted from your fight. Whereas I'm not. I could pretty much beat you here and now."

Kano snarled, but knew that Talion was right. He'd be a fool to take him on when he's extremely tired right now.

"Fine. You may have saved them now, but you won't be able to soon enough."

Kano then ran in the opposite direction, leaving Talion with the two.

With that, Talion turned to the two, who had woken up.

"What took you so long, man?" Johnny said, groaning from the pain on his left shoulder. Talion stopped the bleeding sustained from their wounds and injuries.

"Sorry I was late. I got a little sidetracked on the way here." Talion explained, and helped Johnny up.

"Help Sonya up. I'll let her rest on my back." Talion instructed. They both helped Sonya stood up, and Johnny helped Talion place her on Talion's back.

"C'mon. Let's get going. I'll get both of you fixed up in no time."

They both walked away from The Pit, heading off to the medical station in the island.

"Hey, wanna know what happened while you two were fighting Kano?"

Johnny shrugged, and said, "Sure man."

Talion nodded and looked towards north.

"Right. It started after I fought off Jade..."

* * *

(At the same time of the battle... - With Talion)

While walking off his temporary home, Talion stopped.

 _What is it, my apprentice?_ Alduin asked from inside his mind.

 _'I don't know, mentor, but I definitely feel a presence near me... a spectral presence._ Talion thought.

 _Hmmm... keep a close watch around you, my apprentice. I myself feel the same presence._ Alduin lastly said, and then disappeared from Talion's mind.

With that, Talion continued walking.

Suddenly, he heard two voices in his head.

 _"You seriously don't think that you can take on the both of us, right?"_

 _"...that wouldn't even change a thing at all, pretty boy."_

He widened his eyes.

 _This isn't good. I hear Johnny and Kano's voices. I better hurry._ Talion thought, and quickened his pace.

Suddenly, as if time slowed down, a chained spear went through Talion's peripheral vision, and he dodged the hit in time.

He grabbed the chain, and yanked it back.

"Very observant... Earthrealmer." The voice of Scorpion came, and he himself made his presence known.

"Scorpion: The Netherrealm spectre." Talion stated.

"Indeed."

"Tell me why you had to do that."

"Simply a test. Nothing more."

"Seeing whether or not someone dodges that spear is NOT a test."

"To you at least-" Scorpion then gets interrupted by a sickle slash on his chest. He then looks at Talion, who smiles and shrugs.

"Cheap shot, my friend." He disappears in a black mist, confusing the spectre.

In anger, Scorpion blazes in fire. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

A dark mist appears above Scorpion, and from the mist, Talion laughs.

"Gladly!"

Suddenly, Talion drops from the mist above Scorpion, and punches him down, dropping the spectre to the floor.

Scorpion then disappears under the ground with hellfire blazing underneath him.

Knowing that hellfire will leave a permanent mark on him, he quickly jumped away from the fire, and back to his spot.

Scorpion appears behind him, a sword clutched between his hands. He then brings his sword down on Talion, only for it to be stopped by his sickles.

With a grunt, Talion sent back the attack.

Due to the force Talion gave back to him, Scorpion had released his grip on the sword and it landed far from the two.

Talion smirked.

Luckily, Scorpion always kept an extra one for cases like these.

Scorpion drew out his other sword, and the two went slashing at each other, blade meeting blade, kick meeting kick.

Underneath his mask, Scorpion had a smirk of his own. Suddenly, he then backflip kicks Talion, striking him square in the chin, soaring him in the air. He then teleports, and kicks him back down.

Talion lands with a thud and a groan, while Scorpion teleports back down.

"Did I simply overestimate you then?" Scorpion asked.

Secretly, Talion drove his arms towards the earth.

"Nope." Talion shook his head. "I think you'll find more of a reason to take me seriously."

Scorpion confusedly raised his eyebrows.

"What? How? What do you-" He is then interrupted again. Only this time, two arms grab at both his legs, and drag him on the ground, eventually throwing him back towards Talion.

In blinding fashion, Talion quickly raised back his arms, stood up, and kicked the approaching spectre to the face. The resounding force sent Scorpion back.

As the dust settles, along with Talion's coughing, a dazed Scorpion sat still, still feeling the effects of the kick and crash.

He then approached him.

"So, that good enough for ya?"

Talion only received a sword slash, which he dodged. Scorpion finally dropped his extra sword, a little fatigued.

"I'm guessing that answer is yes, then."

Scorpion recovered, and Talion helped him up.

"You... you are certainly a warrior not to be underestimated. I look forward to fighting you again, if ever."

"Hey, I don't mind that as well. If you need a spar, just let me know. You sure know how to pack a fire punch." They both chuckled at that.

"Farewell, Talion. May we meet again in the tournament."

And with that, Scorpion disappeared in a blaze of fire.

Talion then received a slight headache.

He heard two voices. The same two he got earlier.

 _"It's just you and me now."_

 _"Grrr... fine. At least she'll see you die when I'm done with ya."_

Talion gasped.

 _Dammit, hold on Johnny!_ Talion then transformed into black mist and quickly searched off for the three.

* * *

"And then, you know what happens next." Talion finished his story, as the three neared the medical station.

"So it seems that what Raiden's been saying is true." Johnny realized. Sonya looked at the two in confusion.

"Netherrealm? Raiden? What are you two talking about?" Sonya asked.

"Let Johnny explain that for you." Talion said.

They then arrived at the station and went inside.

Inside the station, he had two people help out Johnny and Sonya.

He then explained the injuries the two sustained to the doctor he was talking to.

"The guy's got a stab wound on the shoulder with a burn on the same wound."

"The woman's got a stab wound on her right forearm and cuts on both arms. They both sustained bruises as well."

The doctor nodded and left to get the stuff needed.

"I'll get you two lunch."

Talion left the medical station.

* * *

When he arrived at the lunch hall, he noticed most of them already eating.

He also noticed one rule written on the bulletin board.

 **THERE WILL BE NO FIGHTING INSIDE THIS HALL AT ALL TIMES.**

 _I guess something extreme must've happened to have this rule written in bold, capital letters._ Talion thought.

He then took his food and went to where Raiden and Liu Kang were.

"Where are Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade?" Raiden asked.

"Both are in the medic station. They both sustained injuries when they both fought Kano."

Both Raiden and Liu Kang's eyes widened.

"I... did not anticipate this." Raiden said to himself. He secretly checked his amulet, and found no cracks since then... yet.

"He will pay for hurting them." Liu said.

"Soon enough, but I think we should leave that to Sonya."

"Why?"

"I'll explain it soon enough."

Talion quickly finished eating, and went back to get food.

"I'll be off now. Gotta get these to the two."

"We'll see you later in the tournament then." Raiden said.

Talion nodded and left the hall, heading towards the medical station.

* * *

Arriving there, he asked where their room is to the receptionist. Getting their location, he thanked the receptionist and quickly went towards their room.

He opened the door and saw the two on separate beds watching TV.

"Told you guys I'll be getting lunch for the both of you." Talion said and smiled.

The two smiled at him as he gave them food.

"Now eat up. You both need your strength back up for the rest of the tournament."

* * *

(2 Hours Later)

The two were now fully healed. They both are now wearing their clothes they had earlier, except Johnny decided to go shirtless.

"Ready?" Talion asked the two.

They both nodded. "Ready!"

"Then let's go!"

They left the medical station.

They stopped at the lunch hall.

"I'm going to look for Jax." Sonya said.

"I'm off to go explore the island." Johnny said.

"I'll be meditating then." Talion said.

"'Till we meet again." Johnny said, and the other two nodded.

After that, the three went off in different directions opposite of each other.

* * *

Talion arrived in a temple, and went inside.

He deeply breathed. He sat down, crossed his legs, and meditated.

 _So, did you find out what that presence was?_ Alduin reappeared.

 _Heh, it was the Netherrealm spectre. Scorpion._

 _Ah, I see. The former leader of the Shirai Ryu, whose real name is Hanzo Hasashi._

 _I feel pity for him. He doesn't deserve the suffering he took._

 _The past is past, Talion. Such is life._

 _I know, mentor._

* * *

 **AN: That's it for this chapter. Talion meets and fights Scorpion, and Kano handily beats Sonya and Johnny.** **No twists whatsoever, but they'll come soon enough as the story goes on.**

 **Remember to review. They help me out a ton.**


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